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A.G.'s Undercover Investigation Revealed Rockland Head Shop Employees Giving Tutorials On How To Use Dangerous Intoxicants

Schneiderman: We Are Fighting Back To Control This Crisis, And Ensure That The Days Of Profiting Off The Illegal Sale Of These Dangerous Drugs Are Over

Rockland - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that his office has filed 12 lawsuits across the State of New York against 16 head shop retailers for violating the state's labeling laws by selling designer drugs, including commonly known synthetics such as "bath salts" and "synthetic marijuana." In Rockland County, Attorney General Schneiderman took legal action against "Village Sensations" after an undercover investigation revealed that employees were illegally selling and promoting dangerous synthetic drugs.

The sale of these dangerous drugs in head shops has contributed to a public health crisis in New York State and across the nation. With psychoactive effects similar to those in substances obtained for illegal drug use, these products are typically packaged with innocuous names and bright graphics to give the misleading impression that their use is harmless.

"The proliferation of illegal synthetic drugs has become a national crisis. In Rockland and across the state, our undercover investigations have revealed the widespread sales and promotion of bath salts and other dangerous drugs that are destroying people’s lives," said Attorney General Schneiderman. "We discovered that head shop employees were giving tutorials on how to use dangerous intoxicants. With today’s actions, we are fighting back to control this crisis, and ensure that the days of profiting off the illegal sale of these dangerous drugs are over."

Attorney General Schneiderman's undercover video investigation discovered head shops were labeling these dangerous products going by names like "MJ Blueberry Aromatic Potpourri", "Bizarro," "AMPED," "VOODOO" or "Cali Crunch," and marketing them with false descriptions such as “incense,” “butterfly attractant,” “glass cleaner,” “potpourri,” “sachets,” “dietary supplements,” or other common household products. Some products had no label whatsoever and most lacked comprehensive ingredient listings. All were deceptive and dangerous to consumers.

Federal and state laws and regulations require that all consumer commodities, at a minimum, be labeled to describe net contents, identity of the product, and the name and place of business of the product's manufacturer, packer, and distributor.

Although Federal and State authorities have attempted to outlaw certain chemicals and their analogs and to remove these items from commerce, their efforts continue to fall short as the chemists and producers providing the products for head shops simply alter formulas and stay ahead of the legislation.

The Attorney General's lawsuits also pursue retailers for illegal sale of nitrous oxide to the public, a specific violation of the State Public Health Law. Commonly known as "Whip Its," nitrous oxide has been linked to several deaths by asphyxiation and other adverse health effects. The gas is typically used by youths who see it as an easy "high."

In May of this year, a senior investigator from the Attorney General’s Office made investigative visit to "Village Sensations" located at 111 Main Street in Nanuet. The undercover visit revealed a selection of powerful designer drugs ranging from bath salt type stimulants, synthetic marijuana substitutes, and strong street drug alternatives in the form of botanic extract products. The location was also illegally selling nitrous oxide chargers for ingestion.

Examples of the different types of reactions individuals have when under the influence of these dangerous concoctions take place throughout the state, include:

In Jefferson County, a 22-year-old man crashed into several cars in an Olive Garden parking lot then told police he had smoked "Spice" before driving.

In New York City, a 21-year-old film student leapt to his death off a Roosevelt Island balcony after smoking salvia, a hallucinogenic plant.

In Oneida County, a 45-year-old man high on bath salts and covered in his own blood was arrested after police say he chased his neighbor and trapped her in her home.

The Attorney General's office has obtained affidavits from those in the medical community highlighting the need to combat this dangerous trend. Dr. Maja Lundborg-Gray told the Attorney General's office that patients who have taken bath salts are also frequently violent and present a definite danger, not only to the public, but to first responders who care for them.

Maja Lundborg-Gray, M.D. at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, said, "There is a completely new level of violence and unpredictability associated with these patients. In some instances, hospital staff have been diverted from helping other patients in order to assist in securing and stabilizing designer drug users. This demonstrates the gravity of the danger posed by users of designer drugs. I support Attorney General Schneiderman's efforts of getting these unlabeled, misbranded and misleading so called ‘designer drugs’ off store shelves in New York State."

During the investigation, investigators from the Attorney General's office shopped at number of typical head shops located in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Watertown, Plattsburgh, Albany, Poughkeepsie, Binghamton, Rockland, and Nassau Counties. Investigators entered each store and purchased a representative sample of illegally labeled intoxicants, capturing the transactions and interactions with store personnel using undercover video.

The Attorney General's lawsuit has been filed in 12 counties across the state against 16 store locations, from Buffalo to Long Island, and seeks an immediate end to the sale of mislabeled drugs. In addition, the lawsuit is seeking an accounting of all commodities sold or offered for sale including the name of the product, the manufacturer and/or distributor of the product, a description of the product, the retail price of the product and the number of units sold.

The following stores are named in the lawsuit:

Pavilion International in Buffalo and Commack

Look Ah Hookah in Rochester (2 locations)

Twisted Headz in Syracuse

Trip on the Wild Side II in Watertown

Rolling Fire Glassworks in Binghamton

Goodfellas Alternative Smoke Shop in Utica

20 Below/ This and That in Plattsburgh

Shining Star Enterprises in Albany

Giggles in Poughkeepsie

Village Sensations in Nanuet

East Coast Psychedelics in Oceanside and Commack

Daze Smoke Shop in Baldwin

The investigation was conducted by investigators Chad Shelmidine and Ryan Fannon under the supervision of Senior Investigator Christopher Holland, directed by Assistant Chief Antoine Karam.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General In-Charge, Deanna Nelson and Gary Brown along with Assistant Attorney General, Judith Malkin under the supervision of Executive Deputy Attorney General for Regional Offices, Martin J. Mack.